The idea is simple: Design a laser cutter and make the building process repeatable for others. Link

By Thomas Barfield; Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics. Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today. Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, … Read more

Scientists are usually a realistic bunch—our salaries depend on proposing projects that are doable with the tools we have in our hands, and our plans usually involve prudent small steps rather than aiming for risky big leaps. But we sometimes dream too, and when we dream, we dream big, even if we dream very seriously. … Read more

When the first warm rays of springtime sunshine trigger a burst of new plant growth, it’s almost as if someone flicked a switch to turn on the greenery and unleash a floral profusion of color. Opening a window into this process, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at … Read more

By Robert W. McChesney and John Bellamy Foster. Perhaps nothing points so clearly to the alienated nature of politics in the present day United States as the fact that capitalism, the economic system that drives the society, is effectively off-limits to critical review or discussion. To the extent that capitalism is mentioned by politicians or … Read more

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